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Credit: Christopher Evans

TORONTO -- As the Red Sox arrive at Fenway Park on Monday, they will do so as a first-place team, having pocketed four wins during their season-opening six-game road trip.

But "Jackie Mania" is no longer in full force.

With a scorching spring training, and considerable assistance from David Ortiz' slow-to-heal heels, Jackie Bradley Jr. forced his way onto the Red Sox' roster. He drew three walks in five plate appearances on Opening Day at Yankee Stadium, then notched his first major league hit in the season's second game. Never mind that the 22-year-old left fielder had never played a game above the Double-A level. Bradley looked every bit like he belonged in the majors.

But after reaching base in six of 14 plate appearances at Yankee Stadium, Bradley had a slightly tougher time over the weekend against the Blue Jays. He recorded one hit and two walks while striking out four times over his final 10 plate appearances. And after going 0-for-4 in Sunday's 13-0 rout of the Jays, his average dropped to .143.

If anything, Bradley has appeared susceptible to inside fastballs, especially from lefties. It isn’t particularly surprising. Unlike in the minors, big league pitchers have access to video of each hitter, and with every game, the file on Bradley expands.

“Pitch to pitch, at-bat to at-bat, you see them trying different things the more they get to know you, or think they know you,” Bradley said. “If they think, ‘He struggles with pitches inside,’ you just have to make sure you’re geared up for pitches inside.”

It took about three weeks last year for Will Middlebrooks to notice that teams were pitching him differently after the Red Sox called him up last season. Bradley hasn’t had to wait so long.

“They can run that two-seamer under his hands, and I’ve noticed some guys have started doing that,” Middlebrooks said. “It’s one of those things that, it looks good to him, but it’s a ball. He’s going to have to learn to lay off. That’s tough in your first week in the big leagues. You haven’t seen guys with sinkers like that. He’s a good enough player that it’s just something he’s going to have to get accustomed to. And he knows that.”